


A word, my love

by MontyPink



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: I promise, M/M, skekshod is good in this one, skekzok has some thoughts about other skeksis, some book spoilers just a fair warning, that i do not share
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontyPink/pseuds/MontyPink
Summary: Oh honey, you're kidding right?No more oxygen in my lungs...Yet you keep on talking
Relationships: skekShod/skekZok (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	A word, my love

Rage.

It's an emotion he felt often, yet rarely acted upon. No, his rage manifested differently. In rituals, in readings, in lectures. Never in outbursts. That never happened, until now. 

The death of the previous emperor had him shaken up. Far more than he would care to admit. He wasn't particularly found of skekSo, but they had their fun. He allowed far more than skekZok ever thought he would. The Emperor enjoyed the suffering of others just as much as he did. It was their little game. SkekSo would find some wrongs, something that annoyed him and The Ritual-Master would do everything in his power to please the emperor with his torture. No. Not torture. Torture sounded so negative. It was re-education. Pain, skekZok figured, was the best teacher out there. Pain made people not do something again. Pain made people realise the gravity of their errors. Pain was good. Pain was preferred. 

But the emperor's health had long been declining. For so long the Riitual-Master had stayed by his side. To nurture and to care. Again, not because he wanted to but because it meant that if he did it. The others could not. Which in turn meant that they had to look up to him and thus respect him for devoting most of his life to the emperor while the others rotted away and did barely anything. Never did he think of this as wanting a reward. Being better than others was the reward. 

And then it finally happened. Crumbled to dust right before their very eyes. A fighter till the end, but it wasn't enough. He was too sick, too damaged to continue. Even though it felt like someone was grasping his heart and squeezed it tight he did not give in. It was his moment to shine. No time for tears. They didn't have a funeral for the others who passed. But this was different. He had to do something.

Looking back on the funeral service filled him with pride. He did that. No one else. But none of this filled him with rage. No it was the new emperor. 

That horrid brute. 

That loud oaf who got lucky with the Garthim that, in case everyone forgot, he didn't even create! He was good at ordering them around and that's it. They did most of the work, they would be more capable leaders than skekUng.

But.. He won the trial. And thus by law, that skekZok himself created and now deeply regretted, made him the new emperor. Not that the alternative would have been better but skekSil was slower, weaker... far easier to manipulate. He knew skekSil, he knew what he wanted. He was planning on giving it to him but skekUng? Too dangerous. Not only was he far too close to the people who despised him, again skekZok didn't mind; it filled him with pride that others wanted him dead but could do nothing, and he was far too cunning to fall for skekZok's tales. And now he was stuck with the fool for who knows how long.

Then suddenly, a sharp pain awoke him from his thoughts. His tail got stuck on something sharp and the pain traveled to the rest of his body. The Ritual-Master threw his head back and looked at the damage he had done to his own chambers. It was a mess, things were torn or thrown around. Liquids of all kinds were poured on the floor, mixed with the glass of the vials and bottles they were once in. Without him even really registering it he had torn up his bedding and sheets. Another wave of anger came over him but now because he needed to clean and fix this. Like he was going to let a podling touch his personal items, pah!

With still a heavy breath he sat down on his ruined bed, head in hands when someone's voice, like a whisper, went through his mind.

"You.. You should be emperor." 

skekShod. 

The Ritual-Master's icy blue eyes narrowed. 

Why did he say that? Why now? They had spoken so much in private and not once had skekZok himself suggested that he wanted to be emperor. No- too risky. He liked his job fine enough.

Under skekSo.

Now with that would-be-general in power the idea of him sitting on that throne was quite tempting. SkekUng already had taken care of skekSil and the others? None of them would be a suitable leader.. So if something were to happen to skekUng.. 

The Ritual-Master got up and with quite some speed left his own chambers to visit The Treasurer, if he wanted to suggest such things he better follow up with some kind of plan. That was just the way things were. Don't just go saying things, skekShod. You of all people should know how badly that ends! 

He arrived, moments later and out of breath but he didn't care. 

"Speak!"

His loud booming voice filled the room but didn't seem to startle the other. The one in the read headscarf just cocked his head with an amused smile.

"About?"

The slurred speech of the Treasurer matched the smell in the room; alcohol. The Treasurer had been drinking. Not once had the other see him do that. Not even after he came back to the castle and his heart was filled with anger and grief.

"Your little... suggestion." Seeing the other in this state didn't help his mood at all. He needed him sober. But perhaps it was better. A drunken tongue speaks sober thoughts after all. 

"Ooooooooooooh.... that..." 

Then silence. Drunken skeksis were such an ordeal.

"Why suggest it then? Why not long before. We all knew skekSo was dying. We could have made a plan- but you didn't and you startled- nay, shocked me." 

"I k-know! Ssssssssssso cute y-you look w-with that expression!" 

SkekZok came closer and grabbed the knot under the Treasurer's chin. That usually snapped him back into being the obedient little servant he was. "I am not in the mood for playing games with you, Shod. You put me on the spot there. You gave me no time to think or prepare. I had to stand there, watching, as we crowned skekUng. Is that what you wanted!?" 

He spat every word, some saliva ending on the others face but he just smirked and cleaned it up with his own tongue. "I d-dunno." 

"Why.. are... you... drunk.." He pulled the headscarf down with each word, trying to inflict pain to a wound given to him so many thrine ago. 

"Cause." The Treasurer said as he didn't seem to even care for the pain in his head. "I-I am ssssssssso happy!" skekShod's gentle hands found their way to skekZok's beak and he gently caressed the sides. "He's g-gone.." His loud voice from before now a whisper. "He's f-finally gone.." The smaller one let himself fall against skekZok's chest and looked up at him. "I w-won.. He's g-gone and I w-won.." The slurred speech made him harder to understand but his point was more than clear. An endurance test lasting a lifetime which he finally won. 

They stood there like that. The Ritual-Master neither touching him or pushing him away. 

"A-as for my sssssssssugesstion..." He trailed lazy patterns on Zok's chest. "It's t-true, isn't it?" Those big eyes looking up at him made it hard to stay mad and he felt his body relax. 

"You speak true but why not suggest it earlier.." 

"SSSSSSSSpur of the m-moment thing." 

-clack-

The Treasurer had pressed his beak against the other's. 

"T-timing doesn't m-matter... We can ssssssstill make it t-true!" 

Out of instinct the Ritual-Master pulled away hearing such asinine things, but the Treasurer had wrapped his arms around him, keeping him so very close. "Sssssssso what if ssssssskekUng is in c-charge now.. Ssssssskeksis die, don't they?" The cheery tone of the words combined with the gravity of them made skekZok's entire body shiver. 

"W..what are you implying." Like he didn't already knew. He just wanted to hear the other say it.

"I ssssssssay.. we k-kill the emperor, my l-love." 

He had people branded as heretic for such words. Removed eyes, limbs, the occasional tongue. 

This... This was different. Because this wasn't an act of heresy... This was an act of brilliance. SkekUng was not a capable leader. He would lead them all to ruin soon enough. This would be to save the skeksis... not to lay them to ruin. 

"And how do you suppose we do that?" His voice sounded more fragile than he intended to, but there was so much going on in his mind right now that he didn't bother to correct himself.

"We p-poison him. It may t-take a while, true. But w-we're patient and it n-needs to not be ssssubtle.. He just d-dies a while f-from now." The Treasurer spoke with such ease about such a horrible topic. He had put thought into this.. The Ritual-Master understood his hatred for skekSo but skekShod and skekUng always seemed to be civil with one another. Perhaps something happened between them. No matter. He wanted the Garthim-Master gone and that was all that mattered right now. Better not to talk about what happened. After all; it may get skekShod thinking and thinking lead to forgiveness. No this pure hatred.. that is what skekZok needed. 

"How would that work. The Gourmand doesn't allow us to touch his food until we're eating it."

"You're sssssssmart. You ssssssit close to him. Figure i-it out." 

He would protest the other's tone but not now. He would chalk it up to him being drunk. Tomorrow they would have a plan, skekShod would have a headache from drinking and that would make him normal again. "I have some poison..." From a ritual that was never used. But it was always smart to keep a little poison on you. 

"Ssssssssmall doses.." The Treasurer reminded him. "His death n-needs to l-look natural.." 

"And then we-" But the smaller one shushed him and pressed his body against him more. 

"No more w-words now, my love... just us.." 

For the first time since he arrived he wrapped his arms around the other's small frame, hugging him and showering him with warmth. Even though the clothes eventually found their way to the ground the warmth stayed and it did so all night. 

\---

Weeks passed and like skekShod suggested they took it slow. Every other day or so The Ritual-Master would drop some poison in the Emperor's cup while staying nothing but polite and helpful. He would not give the former Garthim Master anything to get mad about. He was at his beck and call. No matter the time of day, no matter the request. He appeared devoted to the new emperor and then some. skekUng was suspicious at first, they had butted heads so many times in the past. But he eventually let it go.

At night the Treasurer and the Ritual-Master shared ideas, stories lust and passion. If Zok were to become emperor he would promote Shod to his right hand man. He would work if he wanted to but there was no real need. All would have to treat him with respect. 

Meanwhile skekZok would still do the rituals. Only he knew how to do them after all. But things would change. First the others had to be clean. Far cleaner than they were now. There was to be silence, respect and intellectual discussion. He would lecture them on table manners. No longer would they eat with their talons. Things were going to change and for the better. Perhaps he would even tell the others about him and skekShod. Because the most functional relationship a skeksis ever had was when skekGra was doing his other half.. and that was... well beyond weird. 

The waiting was torture but skekUng did seem to be weakening. It was small at first. Wheezes, troubles getting out of bed. Glassy eyes and slurred speeches. And of course skekZok was there.

"This is normal. You are simply exhausted. Rest.. we'll be fine. Allow me to prepare you some tea. A personal blend.." He would help the emperor to bed. Stayed with him until the slumber took him. And when he woke up; he was there again. Ready to serve.

This new normal took little getting used to. The Emperor couldn't afford to be loud and the others matched his volume easily. No one dared to question his health. Afraid they may get punished. 

Every passing week the state of the Emperor got worse while the Ritual-Master's excitement grew. SkekShod had crafted a fantastic plan and he made sure to reward him for his hard work. He played his role so well. Not an inch of change in behaviour of him. 

And then.

It got too much.

SkekUng didn't leave his bed anymore. Too sick to move, he barely ate. The gossips started. Talks of a new emperor but who would be it? SkekZok listened to them all but didn't say a word. This would all be over soon. 

It was late at night when he heard limping footsteps approach; skekTek who would often double as their resident doctor came to fetch the golden-clad skeksis. 

"The Emperor requires your attention." 

"What does he need from me?" Do not be too giddy. Take it slow. 

"No rituals.. He just wishes to see you." Never a big talker skekTek was. He used to be. Till he lost his eye. Then he became quiet. Good.

"Tell him I will be there posthaste." skekZok wasn't in the mood to be slowed down by the limp. While he never admitted it; skekTek freaked him out. He liked his rituals. He adored them. But all pain he inflicted had purpose. SkekTek seemed to cut off limbs and open himself up for the fun of it all. Or perhaps he was doing something with it. Truth be told the Ritual-Master didn't listen when it wasn't about him specifically. 

The Scientist nodded and his limping footsteps faded into nothingness. Meanwhile skekZok got up, dusted himself off a little and made sure he looked properly sad and shocked. 

He made way to the Emperor's chamber but was stopped by a hook reflecting the light of the candles in the halls. 

"No. Not there. In here."

The Ritual-Master's heart sank a little when he saw that the one-eyed one was gesturing towards the throne room. His throat became dry and his heart was beating faster than it ever had done when he saw him; skekUng. Healthier than he ever seemed to be with on his right side; skekTek and the spot on his left was soon filled by skekNa. Of course they were conspiring together. SkekUng always had a thing for fragile broken things. That was true in the past an it remained true now. A disgusting little habit, really. 

A single bead of sweat dripped from his head down his beak but he ignored it. 

"Emperor! It's so good to see you in good health!"

"Is it, Ritual-Master?" 

"Why, why wouldn't it be! You are our fearless leader... Losing you, would be like losing the crystal; unimaginable pain.." 

A scoff coming from skekNa but he ignored it. He came closer and bowed deeply for his Emperor, knees on the ground. 

"I know what you've been up to." SkekUng's voice rang like thunder through the room. 

"I have been taking care of you. So many hours of sleep lost to wait on you on talon and foot."

"And in the process you had no issues slowly killing me." 

"I don't-" 

"SkekSo may have fallen for your pretty lies because you entertained him with your sick games. But I see through that, skekZok." 

His mind was racing and he opened his mouth to speak but The Emperor signalled to skekTek who bowed and gave him a tiny vial. SkekZok's vial of poison.

"This is yours." Not a question. A fact.

"True." No reason to deny it. It was his after all. "I did not use it, however. Just because something is owned by me, doesn't mean I used it. I'm not the poisoning type. You know me. I require direct results." 

"Then who was it?" Eyes narrowed but still staring daggers.

There was only one thing he could do. One person who would take the blame without fussing. 

"The Treasurer... regrettably. I tried to talk him out of it but you know his brain is beyond repair. Perhaps he mistook you for skekSo. You know those two never truly got along. But you're alive, emperor!" Another deep bow. "That's all that matters! He made a mistake, I shall see him punished and then we can move on." 

"Hm." He exchanged looks with his party before looking at skekZok again. "Hm. Is this true, royal advisor?" 

The Ritual-Master looked up and noticed that the Emperor wasn't looking at him anymore, but past him. He felt the tension in the room and the temperature drop when he heard a voice.

"N-no. SssssskekZok acted alone." 

His icy blue eyes looked at the ground, not wanting to turn around and look the other in the eyes. 

"He d-desired nothing more than w-wanting you gone. Ever sssssssince you were anointed. He c-came to me that very night. Sssssssso upset..." 

Footsteps approached stopped when they were standing next to the Ritual-Master. Every word of his beloved treasurer cut like a knife.

"Had you not warned me, skekShod. I would have surely died. My gratitude is endless." The three before them all gave a bow. This seemed rehearsed.. this was rehearsed. "As a thanks I think it would be fair for you to decide his fate. Personally I would like to break rule and suggest death. But it's up to you."

"Death, sssssssire. Would be a r-reward for this one. No.." He side eyed the Ritual-Master. "No this o-one finds living a-alone the c-challenge. I ssssssay.. banishment. To the c-crystal sssssssea perhaps. He has m-memories there after all." 

"He was in it. It was his idea." skekZok's voice shook, the panic he felt was real. "I.. I went along. I did. But he is equally to blame!" 

"Are you stupid, Zok?" The drop of his title and prefix made him feel so small. "Or are you blinded by a feeling you dare not name, afraid that it becomes real and thus can break?" Seven eyes were watching him from the throne and two were watching him from the side. "But I can't take credit. It would not be fair, skekshod, why don't you tell him. Credit where it's due." He gestured to signal that Shod could start his tale.

"Remember when you ssssssuggested an emperor. Remember what happened w-when I spoke up? Do you remember how e-everyone shunned me and you send me away. Away from everyone sssssso they didn't have to look at the wretched thing that is me!?" His voice overflowing with emotions, his eyes spitting fire. "Then a w-war. Away from what I knew, what I loved. You forced me to drink what I h-hated so. You made me a-addicted. You hurt me. You kept me disgusting and d-dirty. You always said that you c-cared but you never did. You wanted a sssssservant, ssssomeone what would sssupport you. You beat me, belittled and broke me whenever I sssspoke up. You kept me away f-from the others. Left me to rot in my world so sssssmall it was ssssuffocating me. But you made one error in your arrogance. You overlooked ssssssomeone who cared." He pulled his gaze away and looked at skekUng, eyes now filled with warmth and love that disappeared like snow in summer when he looked at skekZok again. "The most love I got from y-you, was when I was dancing to your tune. You hurt me. Physically... but the mental wounds hurt the most. I was fine after ssssssskekSo's punishment.. but you.. you broke me." 

He cocked his head back every so slightly, a satisfied grin on his face. "But here is where it gets f-funny to me. My joke of a life now finally at it's punch line; I always supported sssssssskekUng." A small bow when he spoke the Emperor's name. "And you didn't e-even notice. Everything I did. Every b-beating I endured. Every time we kissed. I was biding my time. Waiting for you to sssssslip up and by The Crystal... it was worth it." 

The smaller one lifted the Ritual-Master's chin up with his finger. "I warned you. I told you I was in c-control. But you didn't listen. You doubled down. And now... n-now it's all over. You have nothing. How does it feel to be betrayed by the one you thought l-loved you so?" 

His throat was too try to speak, silent tears falling from his eyes. 

"That's what I thought. That's w-what I felt, every day. I wanted you so badly. I wanted you to love me. But you n-never did."

"Shod.. please don't do this.." 

"Your pleas are b-better use to a deaf person, Zok. They m-may actually listen.." 

"I.. Give me another chance.."

"Like you gave t-them another chance?!" A gesture towards skekNa and skekTek. "Or how about sssskekLi? Did he get another c-chance?" The smaller one grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close, but there was no love, in fact the distance between them seemed to grow with every inch they got closer. "SsssssskekGra died because of you. SsssskekLi died because of what you did. ssssskekSa..... died because of what you did." 

The other three exchanged a few looks. This was new to them. 

"Sssssskeksis do not kill ssssskeksis until you decide that they do. Y-you almost killed me but you fell for my act. I am not weak, Zok. I do not n-need your help. I never did. I played the part of feeble and gentle because that is what you wanted me to be. You l-lapped it up!" The treasurer was shaking but with delight. "And now y-you get to live with yourself and the ghosts of those who died. No longer will I e-ease your worries and hold you at night. It will be you and the u-unforgiving wilderness of Thra. B-but we both know that w-won't kill you. The thoughts at n-night might.. I can hope, right" 

"You don't want this.. you can't want this.." 

"Oh but I do. The only r-reason why it didn't happen sssssooner is because I just ssssso happened to hate ssssskekSo more than you and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of h-helping me." 

SkekShod finally averted his gaze and looked back towards his emperor, cheeks flushed and feeling lighter than he ever did. "That w-will be all."

"My love I-"

"That w-will be all." He repeated again, firmly this time. 

"You heard my royal advisor. Leave, Zok. Never show your face here ever again. Because if you do. You're my problem and I still have a bone to pick with you as well and I will promise you. I shall not be as kind to leave your punishment at banishing you.." 

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this theory for so long now. Not adding it to my collection [yet] because I'm not done writing about Shod, and this does feel like a finale some what. Also I still ship Shod/Zok I just needed to get this out of my system. Not sure if this will be canon in 'my canon' but enjoy!


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